Billy’s Lake, also known locally as ‘The Sandpits’, is a quiet woodland and lake located in the parish of Denmead, Wi******er and adjacent to Waterlooville and Wecock Farm in Havant Borough. It is also in close proximity to the West of Waterlooville Major Development Area (MDA). The lake was formed by previous gravel extraction of the Soake Sandpit which began in the 1890’s. Billy's Lake coined it
's name in the 1960s as a young Bill lived on the'berg Estate' with his family home backing onto the lake. All the school children would come and knock to take a shortcut through Bill's garden and it became known as Billy's Lake. Bill has been a regular visitor to the Acorn Centre and Billy's Lake since we met in early 2022 and it has been a pleasure for us to get to know this legend and hear his stories about growing up. The Acorn Community Centre in Wecock Farm has a group of wonderful young volunteers who meet regularly to plan and brainstorm ways they can help enhance their community through events and activities. During one meeting in November 2010 they started talking about Billy’s Lake and the surrounding area. They mentioned that this was a place they played and spent time but that it was very neglected. They asked about creating a plan to clean up and develop the green space and footpaths so the area would be accessible and enjoyable to all. This began the dialogue that has turned into an exciting community initiative. The Acorn Community Centre are the leaseholders of the land and our
Community Conservation Officer leads a group of local volunteers who work hard to continue conserving and looking after the woodland and lake. Ongoing help from Volunteers, funding and grants has enabled huge amounts of work to be carried out to improve the area and make it a safe and accessible place for all. If you are living in Wecock Farm, or are local to the area, and would like to be a part of our Volunteer Working Group please get in touch!
